Nollywood producer and actress Funke Akindele has credited hard work and personal sacrifice for her string of box office successes.

Speaking in an interview with Bella Naija, she said her commitment to her craft has often come at the expense of her personal life.

"I abandoned myself for work. I don't even make my hair, except I am going on the red carpet for something very important. I don't attend parties. I don't visit people. I put everything into work. Research, writing, work," she said.

Asked what sets her apart as each of her films outperforms the last, Akindele says:

"It is a lot of work. When I say a lot of work, a lot of giving your all into work. I was looking back, I was telling myself that, 'People are saying you look beautiful. You're loving yourself in the mirror. Why did it take you so long to care about yourself?'" 

She added that she is only now beginning to prioritise herself after years of putting work first.

"I am neck deep into work. I sacrificed my time. It is just now that I am relaxed, doing a skincare routine, looking beautiful and smelling nice," she said.

Akindele tied her latest milestone, her film "Behind The Scene" grossing N2.7 billion, to that same discipline.